Description

Politics in the Republic of Ireland is now available in a fully revised fifth edition. Building on the success of the previous four editions, it continues to provide an authoritative introduction to all aspects of politics in the Republic of Ireland. Written by some of the foremost experts on Irish politics, it explains, analyzes and interprets the background to Irish government and contemporary political processes. Bringing students up to date with the very latest developments, Coakley and Gallagher combine real substance with a highly readable style, providing an accessible textbook that meets the needs of all those who are interested in knowing how politics and government operate in Ireland.show more

Review quote

"Politics in the Republic of Ireland is now well established as the definitive, comprehensive study of Irish politics. This is a 'must buy' for any course on Irish politics, a 'must read' for any student of the subject, or even a casual, interested observer of all things Irish." - David Farrell, University College Dublin, Ireland "This remains THE authoritative source for anyone needing a comprehensive grounding in the government and politics of modern Ireland. The editors have assembled an outstanding team of authors who write accessibly on important topics about which they deep knowledge." - Michael Laver, New York University, USA "Politics in the Republic of Ireland is the place to start for an understanding of Irish politics. This new lively and up-to-date edition confirms the book's place at the top of the list." - R. Kenneth Carty, University of British Columbia, Canada "Quite simply this is the best introduction to modern Irish politics that has ever been produced. The editors have assembled an impressive cast of the relevant experts on all the expected themes." - Paul Mitchell, West European Politicsshow more

About John Coakley

John Coakley is a Professor and Head of the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. Michael Gallagher is Professor of Comparative Politics in the Department of Political Science, Trinity College, University of Dublin.show more

Table of contents

Part 1: The Context of Irish Politics 1. Historical Background John Coakley 2. The Foundations of Statehood John Coakley 3. The Changing Constitution Michael Gallagher Part 2: Representative Democracy at Work 4. The Electoral System Richard Sinnott 5. Parties and the Party System Liam Weeks 6. Voting Behaviour Michael Marsh 7. The Oireachtas: Parliament and President Michael Gallagher 8. The Constituency Role of Dail Deputies Michael Gallagher and Lee Komito 9. Women in Politics Yvonne Galligan Part 3: Policy and Administration 10. The Government and the Taoiseach Eoin O'Malley and Shane Martin 11. Interest Groups in the Policy-Making Process Gary Murphy 12. Multi-Level Governance Neil Collins and Aodh Quinlivan Part 4: Ireland in a Wider World 13. Northern Ireland and the British Dimension John Coakley 14. Europe and the International Dimension Brigid Laffan and Ben Tonrashow more